Reading Between the Lines
by Imadra Blue
Summary: After Byakuran's defeat, Yamamoto discovers that Hibari never told him about Tsuna's plan. The apparent breach in trust leads Yamamoto to reevaluate their relationship. Slash.


**Pairing:** TYL!Yamamoto/TYL!Hibari (8018)  
**Disclaimer:** _Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_ and all its characters are property of Amano Akira. No copyright infringement is intended.  
**Written For**: KHR Fest. Prompt: _VI - 30. TYL!Yamamoto/TYL!Hibari: opposites attract - the ruthless assassin and the gentle sword[s]man_  
**Notes:** Many thanks to Dame Batsie's very helpful beta reading. This will no doubt be rendered AU by the end of the Future Arc. Concrit is always appreciated on any of my fics.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The whirr of the fan filled the room, but it did little more than shuffle around hot air. Hibari looked small beneath Takeshi's white sheets, and the smell of soap clung to him. Sunlight spilled over him, giving a spark of life to his pale skin. Takeshi climbed over him and braced himself up by hands and knees. Hibari opened an eye.

"I did not give you permission to hover over me like a rather smelly table."

"Sorry, I just got in." Takeshi nuzzled the soft skin of Hibari's neck. "Can I have a kiss?"

Hibari swung out his arm and knocked Takeshi to the floor. "Go bathe. You smell."

Takeshi laughed and picked himself up. "Do I get a kiss afterwards?"

Hibari did not answer. He pulled the sheets tighter around himself and closed his eyes, which Takeshi took to mean an affirmative. Takeshi headed into the bath, thinking of his earlier conversation with Tsuna. A few things niggled at him as he sat in the tub, and by the time he came out, they ate at him enough to speak.

"Hey, Hibari?" he asked, toweling his hair.

Hibari glared at him.

"Tsuna apologized for not telling me about his plan to defeat Byakuran by switching us with our younger selves. He said he could only tell the two people with the best connections. I guess one was Irie, but do you know who the other was?"

Hibari rolled over and presented his back to Takeshi.

Takeshi frowned. Over the years, Takeshi had learned to read between the lines of Hibari's answers. Especially when he did not answer.

"When were you planning on telling me?" Takeshi asked, his stomach churning with anger. He started to yank on his clothes.

"I was not."

"Nice. I'm sleeping on the couch." Takeshi slammed a hand against the wall as he stormed out. He finished dressing and grabbed his baseball bat. He forced himself to walk out of the house before he drove a fist into Hibari's face, Squalo-style. It was not the sort of anger he wished to share; it was too personal, too close. Hibari did not trust him. It was as if he did not matter, despite that they had been sleeping together for five years.

Takeshi marched down the street, slamming his bat into signs. They spun around and bent to the side. If his vandalism wound up misdirecting people, so much the better. A few people on the streets noticed him, but they wisely kept their opinions to themselves, which suited him just fine.

It was not until a few hours of hitting baseballs at the park, after his anger cooled to embers, that Takeshi realized that he had relegated himself to the couch in his own apartment.

Sometimes, he wished he was better at getting angry.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The air conditioner felt cool in Gokudera's office, a welcome respite from the heat outside and in Takeshi's apartment. It rattled over his head, breathing chill air over his sweat-soaked body.

"No, trust me, I'm pretty fucking pissed off, too." Gokudera lit a fresh cigarette. "I still can't believe the Tenth told that asshole, and not me."

"What's Tsuna's excuse?" Takeshi asked, leaning back against the cool wall.

"That he was trying to protect all of us, since he didn't want us being hurt or there being leaks to the Millefiore, and all the usual bullshit."

"Yeah. I can understand it from his end, but Hibari is my _partner_."

Gokudera's eyebrows quirked. "Does he actually let you call him that?"

"Well, no, not exactly. But he is."

"Seriously, I still think you're an idiot. If it's not baseball or swords, it's that tonfa-wielding berserker that makes you so stupid. What do you see in that guy?"

"You mean, when I'm not mad at him?" Takeshi paused to reflect. "I don't know. We're like magnets."

"Magnets? Are you trying to use that 'opposites attract' bullshit on me?"

Takeshi smiled a little. It was not actually that simple. At times, Takeshi and Hibari reflected the qualities of the other. Takeshi became ruthless, his sword sharp, and his body count high. And Hibari became almost gentle, sitting comfortably on the floor, sipping from a steaming cup of tea. It was an exchange. When they slipped down onto the bed, legs sliding against the other's, lips seeking a warm spot of flesh to press against, they exchanged more than simple pleasure. They exchanged pieces of themselves. Polar opposites only attracted with the proper magnets. Even if turned in certain directions, they carried the charge of the other pole within them.

After thinking about it, Takeshi's anger towards Hibari dissipated like smoke. He sighed. He really did fail at being angry. Gokudera still stared at him expectantly, so Takeshi thought of an answer that did not seem too personal too share. "I know the magnet thing sounds cliché, but there's more to it than that. The sex is fucking amazing," he said with a grin. "He does this thing with his tongue, right when he gets to the tip of--"

"Stop right there!" Gokudera shoved his fingers in ears. "Too much information!"

"You asked about magnets. See, they stick together, and when it's hot, Hibari and I--"

"Knock it off, for fuck's sake! I didn't ask for pornographic details!"

Takeshi shook his head, chuckling. "You're like a one-man comedy routine. Anyways, back to why I came here--is there any work to do?"

Gokudera ashed his cigarette. "Not for a thug like you. All's pretty quiet since our younger selves beat Byakuran. Just a few weapon shipments and territory disputes, but our men already settled that. A real relief, huh?"

Takeshi forced a smile on his face, though he was sure it did not reach his eyes. "Yeah, a relief," he lied.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The gentle creak and pour of water into the rock garden soothed Takeshi as he entered the room. It felt even warmer in here than outside. Hibari seemed to enjoy the temperature at sweltering degrees. Normally, Takeshi took it as an excuse to strip off clothes, but he had not quite forgiven Hibari yet. He stepped into the room.

Hibari sipped at his tea. "Did you speak with the noisy herbivore?"

"Yeah. I just came from there." Takeshi frowned. Sometimes, Hibari's refusal to articulate anything approaching sentiment made him want to shake him--an act that would doubtlessly lead him to being bitten to death. He wondered if it would be worth it.

"So, you are done sulking?"

Takeshi suddenly realized why Gokudera spent his youth throwing bombs at people who angered him. "I wasn't sulking! You were the one who didn't tell me the truth!"

Hibari looked unimpressed and sipped at his tea again. He leaned forward to add another brush line to the calligraphy painting before him. "I presume he told you how little there was to do?"

"Yeah," Takeshi said, with a sigh. The lack of anything to do in their newfound near-utopia troubled him as much as the lack of Hibari's trust. "Apparently just minor things they can handle without me."

Hibari nodded, scowling a little.

Takeshi glanced around Hibari's Institute. New painted panels stood around, the mats seemed fresh, and the bonsai tree on the low table was definitely new. "You redecorated?"

Hibari finished his tea. "I was tired of the old panels."

"Maybe you'd be less bored if you talked to me more. Like about important life-changing plans that Tsuna comes up with."

Hibari walked away. "If you are trying to pick a fight, I will be glad to bite you to death. If you are just going to sulk, you can go back home."

Like a hidden ember uncovered and fanned back to life, Takeshi's anger sparked back up. Teeth clenched, he stormed out of the Institute. He was not angry enough to chase Hibari down and pummel him for the breach of trust, but he was getting there.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Takeshi spent most of his time at the park, playing baseball. It saddened him that baseball could no longer fulfill him as it had in his youth. Gokudera was right about the three things that made him stupid: baseball, sword fighting, and Hibari. They were also the three things he lived for. He only had baseball at the moment. After three days, he could take no more of his incomplete existence and went to find Hibari.

Even though they had long since graduated Namimori Middle-High, Takeshi knew that when Hibari could not be found in his Institute or Takeshi's apartment, he would be atop the school. Hibari slept on the ledge, rigid as a board, and did not stir when Takeshi dumped himself on the ground next to him. The summer air felt warm and nearly stifling, just the way Hibari liked it.

As Takeshi sighed, he could sense Hibari's heart speeding up. He tilted his head back and stared up at the other man. It was time to settle this. "I'm still mad at you for not telling me about Tsuna's plan."

Hibari kept his eyes closed. His fingers twitched and ran through Takeshi's hair once. He dropped his hand quickly, as if he regretted the gesture.

"Hey, did you hear me?"

"Your father is alive again."

"Yes, and of course I'm grateful for that." Since Byakuran's defeat, Takeshi could barely recall the pain from his father's death. It had been undone, along with the rest of Byakuran's destruction. "But why didn't you trust me with what you and Tsuna and Irie were doing?"

Hibari sat up and yawned. He did not glance at Takeshi. Hibird fluttered onto the wild mop of Hibari's hair and cheeped.

"Hey! I asked you a question."

Hibari slid off the ledge and started to walk away. "Are you going to pick a fight this time?" He sounded almost curious.

The lack of interest, even in a fight, coupled with his fears that Hibari did not truly trust him, sparked a fire in Takeshi's heart. He struck out with Shigure Kintoki, and his blade slammed into Hibari's side with the flat of his blade. Hibird fluttered off again, squawking about the disturbance of his nest. "And if I am?" He needed something to do, and getting angry was certainly something.

Hibari actually smiled. "I like it when you start the fight." He spun around, his tonfas like a swarm of locusts, attacking from all directions. Takeshi parried high and low, dodging left and right, waiting for an opening to vent his frustration. They danced until stalemate, the waning sun still hot on their backs. Takeshi dripped sweat, his arms numb from blocking repeated blows.

"You have gotten stronger." Hibari yawned and turned his back. "If you must know why I did not tell you, it was because I did not want you to know. It had nothing to do with trust." He paused and glanced back. "It might not have worked, and you lose hope too easily."

Takeshi could read between the lines. He had spent five years learning how. Their trust had not been broken, after all. Hibari knew all about how Takeshi had once tried to jump from the roof of Namimori Middle-High out of despair, of how the loss of all hope left him more wounded than any battle. Hibari understood him as well as he understood Hibari.

Breathing felt easier again. Beaming, Takeshi seized Hibari from behind, hugging the strangely delicate frame to him. Takeshi breathed in the scent of Hibari's shampoo. "Thank you, Kyōya. I'm glad you were worried about me. But don't hide things from me anymore. We're supposed to trust each other."

Hibari nuzzled back for only a moment before jabbing his elbow into Takeshi's stomach. "Do not touch me. Do not call me Kyōya. And hurry up, I want sex. You have been sulking too long." He disappeared through the door that led downstairs.

Takeshi took a deep breath and rubbed his stomach. He smiled through the pain. When they arrived in their new world, he knew that whatever had happened needed to happen. He could accept that--it was his nature to accept the inevitable. But knowing that Hibari did trust him, after all, meant everything to him.

As soon as the sting from Hibari's elbow faded, he headed downstairs and followed Hibari to Takeshi's apartment. Hibari turned around when Takeshi finally entered and shut his door.

"Meeting the you from ten years ago reminded me of how little you have grown up over the past ten years," Hibari said in a flat tone.

Takeshi grinned. "Well, your sense of romantic timing hasn't matured much, so we're even. Did you give the young me a blowjob? I'll bet he would have liked it as much as I do when you get down on your knees and--"

The twitch of Hibari's right arm betrayed him, and Takeshi managed to dodge the tonfa by ducking low. He blocked the next blow with Shigure Kintoki and laughed. His body ached in protest at the fresh fight, but it was the sort of ache he enjoyed.

"I hope the younger you doesn't take so long to notice me," Takeshi said. "Five years was a really long time to wait for you, you know."

"Then make yourself more noticeable, herbivore," Hibari said, and chased Takeshi through the halls up to his bedroom. Once there, he dropped the tonfas and exchanged his heavy blows for hungry kisses. Takeshi returned every one, just as hungrily.

They fell onto the bed in a jumble of limbs. Neither of them bothered with removing all their clothes. A sense of _now_ and _want_ and _mine_ erased any concern over such niceties. Sex with Hibari was like a well-executed kata or scoring a home run--Takeshi felt invigorated every time. He lived for the little things, for the way Hibari's fingers crawled under his shirt to clutch his back, for the salty taste of Hibari's sweat, for the feel of hot skin sliding against his, for the tiny little moan that escaped Hibari's mouth when he came.

After sex, when they lay together on the bed, panting from their exertions, Takeshi could hear rain outside. He glanced at the window and found raining spatter against the glass. Takeshi found rainy, cloudy days romantic. That was his and Hibari's time together, when their powers united in the sky. He had told Hibari that once, but Hibari only told him to stop reading women's manga. He opened the window, immediately grateful for the cool air and the slight spray of rain on his skin.

Hibari drew a blanket over them, murmuring something about the cold, despite how warm his skin felt against Takeshi's. The smell of rain filled Takeshi's bedroom, but when he lay back next to Hibari, he could still smell himself on him. Takeshi smiled and smoothed his hands over Hibari's back.

"Anything new from your men?" Takeshi asked. "Anything to do at all?

Hibari yawned. "The Codomo Family has been making threats since we stopped their drug supply. Sawada Tsunayoshi seems to be ignoring them. He argues they are not a real threat."

Takeshi grinned, oddly relieved by these threats. "Have they now? Well, they might be small, but they could still do damage if left unchecked. And we need something to do other than fight each other, fun as that is."

Humming in agreement, Hibari curled up closer to Takeshi, breathing deeply before falling asleep again. Takeshi envied his ability to fall asleep anywhere, at any time. He lay back next to Hibari and tucked his hands beneath his head, thinking about how nice it would be to have something to do again. He would have to thank the Codomo Family for their kindness.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The air conditioner in Tsuna's office was much colder than Gokudera's. It made the place unbearably cold, like a morgue. Takeshi shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Hibari, since he probably could not stand it. He winced at the sharp pain that stabbed throughout his torso from his wounds. He hoped that Ryōhei soon returned with his "extreme icepacks."

Hibari covered himself with Yamamoto's jacket, unfazed by the bloodstains. Then again, his own jacket was also splotched with blood. His right eye had turned black, and his fat lip bled slowly. Takeshi wanted to lick the trickle of blood on his chin off, but that would have to wait for when they were alone.

Gokudera pinched the bridge of his nose, and Tsuna continued to frown. It was Gokudera who asked, voicing the question that both he and Tsuna no doubt had for both of them: "Exactly _why_ did you march into the Comodo Family's stronghold and start beating on their men?" At least Gokudera no longer expressed frustration through explosives--instead, he flicked ashes at them from his cigarette.

Hibari only tilted his head back proudly. He had stolen one of Takeshi's targets before Takeshi had a chance to get to him, as a particularly large Comodo thug had barred his way. Takeshi did not appreciate losing a target to Hibari, but they could discuss the lack of respect later that night, when Takeshi had Hibari spread out on his bed. Even if Hibari won more battles, Takeshi considered himself the ultimate victor. No one else had caught such a fine predator as Hibari in their bed--not even Dino, despite Dino's valiant attempts in Hibari's youth.

"Well?" Tsuna prompted, staring at them. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've brought us?" He sounded remarkably like Takeshi's father when he discovered that Takeshi had not cooked the sushi rice properly.

"Oh, yes," Takeshi said cheerfully. "But they threatened us. They may not have been a large threat, but if you let these things go unattended, they can be troublesome. And, well, we were bored."

Gokudera smacked his hand over his face, flinging more cigarette ashes in their direction.

"Bored?" Tsuna asked, as if he could not comprehend Takeshi's statement. And perhaps he could not--Tsuna seemed to like things peaceful.

"Yes, bored."

"My men will let you know if there is anything you need to do to handle the situation," Hibari said, his tone as chill as ever. He rose from his seat and strolled out of the office with only a slight limp, pausing by the door for only a moment to make sure Takeshi followed.

"Gotta go. He always gets horny after a fight," Takeshi explained and stood. "Tell _senpai_ that I'm sorry we missed his special icepacks. Hey, isn't it great to have something to do again? Make sure to let me know the moment you need me!"

As Tsuna gaped and Gokudera reddened, no doubt working himself up to a fine rant, Takeshi dashed out to follow Hibari. It would not do to keep him waiting.

_End._


End file.
